Dorothy Eileen Gates

She was born in Boston, Mass. to her late parents William A. and Mary C. MacDonald. She moved to Cape Cod as a child with her family and grew up in Hyannis. She graduated from Barnstable High School and Saint Elizabeth's Hospital School of Nursing. She went on to train as a nurse anesthetist at Boston City Hospital. She joined the Airforce and trained at the school of Aerospace Medicine in Texas. She was involved with casualty staging units during the Vietnam war and continued with the 74th and later and the 439th TAC Hospital as a reservist at Westover Airforce Base. She retired as a Lt. Colonel with the Airforce.

As a nurse anesthetist, she was the first nurse anesthetist hired at Baystate Medical Center and was appointed chief nurse anesthetist and continued to work in the field for over 50 years. She held offices with her local CRNA and state CRNA components. She held office on the Board of Anesthesia for Massachusetts for which she worked with state and local representatives of Massachusetts to pass legislation for improving pay for advanced practice nurses. Prior to her passing she was working as a nurse anesthetist in Sandwich, Mass.

She played the piano, acoustic guitar, and accordion. She enjoyed singing, gardening, bird watching, traveling state side, traveling abroad, and shopping for the perfect outfit. She was a Naui open water scuba diver, sailor, and had many hiking adventures with the Appalachian Hiking Club. She was a Eucharistic minister with the Catholic Church, Corpus Christi Church, and had sung with the choir. She actively attended healthcare facilities and helped those in need around her.

Dorothy enjoyed and cherished her many friendships with people from the past and present. She enjoyed visiting with her family, grandchildren, and extended family members.

Dorothy is predeceased by her 2 brothers William J. MacDonald and Robert L. MacDonald. She is survived by her brother Douglas M. MacDonald and her sister June M. Nese. She is also survived by her 3 children; Rebecca Gates, Matthew Gates, and Rachel Gates-Bell, former husband; Stephen M. Gates, her 2 grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.

Visiting hours will take place Thursday June 22, 2017 from 4pm - 8pm at Nickerson- Bourne Funeral Home, 154 Route 6A, Sandwich, Mass. 02563. A Catholic Mass will be held June 23rd at 11 AM at Corpus Christi Church in East Sandwich, Mass. A committal military service with military honors will follow at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. at 12: 45 pm.

Contributions can be made in her memory to the following:

St. Jude, Catholic Charities, and the American Cancer Society